AUSTIN, Texas – Members of the Travis County Bar Association (TCBA), many of whom are UT Law alumni, will educate the community about common legal issues at the 9th Annual People's Law School on Saturday, Feb. 22 at UT Law. The event is free and open to the public.
Courses will cover a wide variety of common legal issues including Child Custody and Divorce, Small Business Law, Landlord/ Tenant Rights, Personal Bankruptcy, Identity Theft, Wills and Estate Planning, and Government Benefits for Seniors. Participants may register for up to three classes. Each class will last one hour and 15 minutes with a question and answer period at the end of each class. Attendees who want to learn how to use the Tarlton Law Library for legal research can take guided tours at noon and 1:30 p.m.
This year, the event offers several new classes including Legal Primers for Writers, Film Industry Professionals, and Musicians (Entertainment Law Series "How to Protect Your Art"); Health Insurance ("Doctor, Drugs and HMOs"- Fighting denials of health coverage), and Homeowner's Insurance ("What If My House Has Mold?" - Your rights in dealing with your insurer). And some classes, such as the Small Business Law Series and Employment Law Series, have been changed to cover topics not addressed in previous years.
"The law affects many aspects of people's lives and the purpose of the 9th Annual People's Law School is to make general legal information more accessible to the community," said Austin attorney Elizabeth Colvin, a 1996 graduate of UT Law and one of three co-chairs of the event. The others are Austin attorneys Austin Tighe and Catherine Benouis-Kucera. "The People's Law School teaches people how to help themselves, when they might need the help of an attorney, when their rights have been violated and when they haven't been," Colvin said, emphasizing that attorneys do not provide individual legal advice at the event. "However, the event provides the public with an opportunity to learn the basics about common legal issues that impact our lives," she added.
UT Law students -including 20 to 30 members of the Student Bar Association-will volunteer at the event, serving as classroom assistants to the attorneys teaching the class, providing directions to participants and answering questions about the Law School. Many UT Law alumni are coordinating and speaking at People's Law School. They include Julie Alexander (Family Law); Susan Arenella and Paul Skeith (Small Business Law); Ahmad Keshavarz (Consumer Law); and Phil Durst, (Employment Law). Click on People's Law School Speakers for a complete list of attorneys teaching the courses.
Advance registration is encouraged, as class sizes are limited. However, same-day registration is allowed. For a complete course listing and registration brochure, visit http://www.travisbar.com/ or call 472-0279.
Close to 3,000 people have attended the event since it was started in 1995 by the Travis Country Bar Association, a non-profit voluntary association representing 3,7000 attorneys in the Austin area.
Speakers are practicing attorneys and members of the Travis County Bar Association.
Family Law Series:
Divorce: Julie
Alexander
Custody/Support: Julie
Alexander
Grandparents Rights:
Christopher Merritt
Consumer Law Series: Ahmad Keshevarz
Small Business Series: Susan Arenella & Paul Skeith
Employment Law Series:
Hiring &
Firing: Phil Durst
Discrimination:
Lynn Carter
Compensation: Judy
Osborne
Entertainment Law Series:
Writers:
Arenella & Skeith
Film: Mike
Saleman
Musicians: Mike Tolleson
Elder Law Series:
Guardianship: Arie
Solis
Scams Against the Elderly: Esther
Chavez
Governmental Benefits: Marilyn
Miller
Health Insurance: Charles Sanders
Mediation: Mark Sims
Personal Bankruptcy: Liz Hickson
Wills & Estate Planning: Walker Arenson
Landlord/Tenant: Bruce Rodenborn
Public Information Access: Amanda Crawford
Special Education: Richard LaVallo
Homeowner’s Rights: Chris Elliot